First case of Delta virus cluster a true Kiwi hero

There might be a late contender for the New Zealander of the Year award — the 58-year-old man who tested positive for Covid19 this week.

Microbiologist Dr Siouxsie

Wiles MNZM took the 2021 title for her work during the Covid-19 pandemic while also breaking down barriers around appearance and gender.

Jennifer (Te Atamira) Wardlealand, Mike King, Kristine Barlett, Taika Waititi, Richie Mccaw, Sir Stephen Tindall, Dr Lance O’sullivan and Dame Anne Salmond are other previous winners.

They’re highly esteemed characters in their own right but I believe the Devonport tradesman is right up there with them.

Health officials on Tuesday announced the man had tested positive and locations of interest pinpointed him at several locations throughout Auckland and Coromandel.

Case A, as the man is referred to in the latest Covid-19 cluster, had not been vaccinated but was very good at scanning into places he visited using the NZ Covid Tracer app.

Genome sequencing later revealed the man has the Delta variant of Covid-19, a strain known to be more severe that spreads more easily than the original Alpha form of the virus.

If Case A hadn’t been so prompt in getting himself tested, the number of cases the country is dealing with could have been far higher. We owe this man a lot. He is a true team player, a shining light in the team of five million.

And don’t just take my word for it, because there’s plenty of praise about Case A, including from this year’s New Zealander of the Year.

“A massive thanks and a gold star to the person with symptoms who got tested,” Wiles posted on Twitter shortly after Case A was discovered.

Now the ball is in our court — as it has always been, really — but I’m hoping we can all learn something from this latest outbreak in New Zealand.

On the whole, Kiwis seem to be sticking to the game plan: People are social distancing in public and have their faces covered, people are queuing for tests and staying home otherwise.

And here is why breaking chains of transmission is so important. We’re not out of the woods though, with officials expecting at least 120 cases of Delta-strain Covid-19 infections to emerge.

Cabinet’s quick decision to plunge New Zealand back into a level 4 lockdown was a stark difference to the actions of leaders across the ditch in Australia, which is now in major strife.

On Thursday, a record 681 new cases were discovered in New South Wales — the state which has suffered the brunt of the latest outbreak.

"If Case A hadn’t been so prompt in getting himself tested, the number of cases the country is dealing with could have been far higher. We owe this man a lot. He is a true team player, a shining light in the team of five million. And don’t just take my word for it, because there’s plenty of praise about Casea..."

An outbreak began in Sydney in mid-june and as of Thursday afternoon, just shy of 10,000 people had tested positive for Covid-19.

According to the New Zealander of the Year award website, the title “honours the achievements and contributions of an inspirational Kiwi who has made a big, positive contribution to our country this year”.

Another frontrunner for the 2022 award might be Bay of Plenty golden child Lisa Carrington but

I’m not sure even she has made as big a contribution to New Zealand as Case A.

Cabinet made sure New Zealand would not follow in Australia’s lacklustre footsteps to an outbreak — as did Case A.